What to do about school shootings?

[unixronin]

"Hold up textbooks as shields", says Bill Crozier, a Republican candidate for Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools.

Oh yeah.  That's going to be REALLY effective.  Maybe the shooters will laugh hard enough not to think of shooting where the textbook ISN'T ... even assuming you can find enough eight-inch-thick textbooks to give every kid one the first day a wacko comes in with a rifle.  Oh, wait, that already happened.  Several times.  Silly me.

An Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokesman was skeptical.

"He probably needs to take a look at some ballistics tests," Lt. Pete Norwood said.

Yeah.  What he said....

Comments

[dafydd.livejournal.com]

Okay, textbooks as shields isn't the best idea in the world. However, I like the fact that children are again being encouraged to fight their attackers.

For several years now, the conventional wisdom has been for girls to fight their attackers. Parents and police finally caught on that, chances are, the assailant was going to kill the child anyway, so what was left to lose?

I just see Mr. Crozier's comments as an extension of the principle, albeit a poor one. If the crazed gunman is going to shoot kids anyway, the kids might as well try to take him down in the process.

I'm all for encouraging heroism, and discouraging sheep.

[databeast.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on this, but I still want to post the comment I came here to post (before I read yours)

...can we please.. PLEASE .. let this CongressCritter demonstrate to the rest of us peons how to develop our bullet-blocking powers..

..I'll bring the Cor-Bons....and a mop.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Heh. :)

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Ditto. There's at least one school somewhere that's holding classes teaching students to mob a shooter, throw chairs, books, whatever. That, IMHO, is a hell of a lot more productive than just holding up textbooks and hoping.

[koyote.livejournal.com]

in one context, it is potentially a life saver.

It's not a *solution*, but if it's there, in front of you, and the situation is right....

Remember teddy (yes, I know he wasn't shot with a 308, but who says the next shooting will be with a 308?)

[arasirsul.livejournal.com]

Ah, well, you see, the problem's just because you don't understand the math. Sure, it takes an eight inch thick textbook to stop a high caliber rifle shot, but see, you don't have to stop it: You just have to slow it down sufficiently that it's not lethal. So there's no need to go handing out eight-inch-thick textbooks, I mean, that's just crazy talk.

Issuing all the children _six_ inch thick textbooks should do the trick just nicely.

And, of course, a "Sponge Bob Square Pants" kevlar helmet.

-JDF

[novel-tharkun.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the bionic reflexes.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

I don't think you need something nearly eight inches thick. You just need to had out the right text. I have a math text this semester that runs about 130 pages, call it 70 papers thick, that thing will stop anything, it is impenetrable.

[jmkelly.livejournal.com]

Sheesh. The guy actually finds something today's textbooks might be good for, and you just make fun of him.

[smandal.livejournal.com]

I, for one, welcome our new Kevlar-bound textbooks.

[richspk.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I think I like that better than my idea of Kevlar desktops, attached with Velcro so you can rip them off in an emergency, like seat cushion/flotation devices.